Wrath of the Villains: Azrael
|next= }} "Wrath of the Villains: Azrael" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of Gotham. It aired on May 2, 2016. Synopsis Gordon and Bruce question Professor Strange about Project Chimera, which leads Strange to send the newly resurrected Galavan to confront Gordon. Meanwhile, Nygma investigates who Professor Strange is.[http://www.spoilertv.com/2016/04/gotham-episode-219-azrael-press-release.html Gotham - Episode 2.19 - Azrael - Press Release - SpoilerTV] Plot Having been resurrected by Hugo Strange, Theo Galavan begins to suffer from shattered mental state, and recites fragments from the sacred book of The Will and Order of St. Dumas. Afterward, Strange met with Jim Gordon at Arkham Asylum questioning him about the death of Karen Jennings and his participation in the Pinewood Farms program. However, Strange tells Gordon that Thomas Wayne was the one who started the program to cure humanity of the great evils at the genetic level such as old age, disease, and death, yet he denies involvement in the atrocities of the program which, according to him, were the work of Thomas Wayne. After that, Gordon gives Strange an envelope with a court order to exhume the body of Victor Fries, but Strange is quick to tell him that Victor's body was cremated. Gordon then reveals that he only did so to get confirmation that he was the one behind it all, and afterward Strange realizes that Gordon gave him an empty envelope. In Arkham's cafeteria, Edward Nygma broke up a fight between Aaron Helzinger and Rudy. Leaving out of Arkham Asylum, Gordon crosses paths with Ed, who Gordon tells to go to hell, and Ed promises to find a way to get out of there, as no one beat him, though Gordon reminded him that he did. After that, Nygma listens to Strange and Ms. Peabody commenting on Gordon as he could prove to be a big problem to their current plans. At that, Nygma offers his help in taking Gordon down, but Strange refuses, though Nygma unintentionally gives him an idea of how to solve his problem with Theo Galavan. Using The Will and Order of St. Dumas which told the story of the immortal warrior Azrael, Strange goes into the reanimation lab to speak to Galavan, but the resurrected Galavan quickly attacks him. However, after Hugo presents himself as Dumas, the founder of the Order, Strange convinces him that he's the immortal warrior Azrael, under his service. At Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne is informed by Gordon and Bullock that the evidence on Hugo Strange was not enough to imprison him. Annoyed by the bureaucracy of the situation, Bruce suggests that Gordon do the same thing to Strange as he did to Galavan, but Jim advises him not to take that route because he'd end up paying for it over and over again, as he did. He then told Bruce that it would make him more like the evil he was trying to fight and that he needed to be better. Gordon told Bruce to hold out a little longer, as they would work on Barnes, and get him to sign a warrant and arrest Strange for good. At the Indian Hill facility, Professor Strange, and Ms. Peabody watched as Theo watched a video teaching him about the Order of St. Dumas in the reanimation lab. Strange told Peabody that Galavan's mind couldn't reconcile death and rebirth until he gave it a grander context. In Arkham's cafeteria, Ed is still upset about how Hugo Strange had dismissed him earlier. Ethel arrives and asks Aaron to come with her. As she closes the door, Ed holds it open with a newspaper. He realized that Strange hiding something, and follows Ethel and Aaron in a corridor and discovers that there's a secret passage in the hallway. Down in the Indian Hill facility in the reanimation lab, Aaron is brought into the lab, and Strange orders Theo to vanquish him, as a test. He then points to a metal case and tells him that it contained everything he needed to defeat Helzinger, though instead of opening it, he takes the case and knocks Aaron unconscious with it. Strange then orders Theo to open the case, and he finds a sword, which Professor Strange tells him is the Sword of Sin, though Peabody notes to Strange that it is only a replica. Professor Strange then orders Theo to kill James Gordon. At a crime scene, Barnes announced the deaths of 4 male victims. After his announcement, he is aggravated by the sight of Gordon, Bullock, and Bruce nearby who were discussing the nature of the crime. Though Gordon asks to speak to Barnes, he refuses at first, but Bruce insists and he gives Gordon three minutes to explain. At Arkham, Ed almost has all the tools necessary to find the secret passage down the hallway except the bug zapper, as Norton had brought him a fly swatter instead. On the scene of the crime, Barnes does not believe Jim's allegations about Hugo Strange. While they argue, Azrael arrives and confronts Barnes and Gordon. Azrael quickly subdues the two, though Bullock, Bruce, and several officers arrive in time to save Gordon. They shoot at Azrael, though he's able to climb several structures and escape. At the GCPD, Barnes questions Azrael's identity. Gordon states that Hugo Strange is behind him, but Barnes rejects this suggestion due to the lack of evidence. Bruce asks what Barnes plans to do about Strange, and Barnes tells him that he will assemble a Strike Force and call in all off-duty personnel. Barnes then told Bruce to stop meddling in matters that didn't concern him. Afterward, Gordon agrees with Barnes and tells Bruce to go home, as he couldn't make the moves he needed to make if he was worrying about Bruce. At the Van Dahl mansion, the inside of the house is in ruins. Penguin walks in the dining area, greeting Grace Van Dahl's corpse, and having a drink while watching the news about Azrael in astonishment. Elsewhere, Azrael walks the streets of Gotham and discovers a poster of him when he was running for Mayor of Gotham. This quickly brings back flashes of memories of the election, though they quickly fade away. At the GCPD, Barnes orders his officers to find Azrael. Gordon wants to leave to look for Azrael as well, but Barnes orders him to stay at the GCPD for his own protection. However, Gordon tells Barnes that he isn't a cop anymore, and didn't have to listen to his orders. As such, Barnes decides to put Gordon in a cell, under suspicion of breaking Karen Jennings out of GCPD custody. In the Indian Hill facility, Professor Strange shuffles several books in his hand and tells Peabody that he wants to install personas in more of their patients immediately. At the GCPD, Barnes returns and tells Gordon there was no news on Azrael. Gordon then asks Barnes to let him go, and though Captain refuses. Barnes and Gordon then argue over Gordon acting outside of the law, and Barnes tells him that seeing as where Gotham was going, a man needed to cling on to the law, or else he'd drown. Suddenly, the lights go out at the GCPD, and Azrael comes swinging in through a glass window. After brutally killing three officers, Azrael tries to do the same to Gordon, however, Barnes saves Gordon by shooting down Azrael. Despite hitting the villain several times, it only momentarily subdues him. Barnes then tells Gordon that he'd lead Azrael to the roof, while Gordon went to go get a bigger gun to use on him. On the roof, Barnes battled Azrael with a metal pipe. During their battle, Azrael's sword breaks, leaving him distracted, allowing Barnes to beat down Azrael and knock his mask off to reveal his identity. Surprised to see Theo Galavan under the mask, Azrael takes the opportunity to stab Barnes with his broken sword, and Gordon then appears armed with a shotgun. Azrael tries to flee but Gordon shoots him several times until Azrael falls off the ledge of the building, landing on a Gotham City coroner van in front of dozens of television cameras gathered to cover the attack on the GCPD. The news then reports that Azrael was in fact, Theo Galavan. On top the GCPD roof, Gordon comforts Barnes while the ambulance arrives. After the paramedics arrive to take Barnes away to Gotham General Hospital, Bullock arrives and Gordon tells him that Azrael is Galavan. At their home, Butch and Tabitha see the news of Azrael being revealed as Galavan, and back at the Van Dahl mansion, Penguin excitedly watches the news of the revelation. Meanwhile, at Arkham, Ed uses the objects he gained from the other inmates to gain access to the elevator leading down to the Indian Hill facility. Walking into the facility, Nygma discovers the horrible creatures in the facility. Elsewhere, Gordon walks away from the GCPD, while Azrael watches from above a bridge. Trivia *When Strange discusses implanting personas into the Indian Hill patients, he is seen reading Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. This is a reference to the Batman villain Mad Hatter, who in the DC Comics is obsessed with Alice in Wonderland and names himself after the character from the book. *When the police first encounter Galavan as Azrael, Bruce observes his movements in astonishment. This could be foreshadowing his later quest to become the Batman, as in this version, Azrael even wears a cape similar to Batman. References Category:Season 2 Category:Indian Hill Arc Category:Theo Galavan Arc